Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-01-08
The Art of ncing Grandpapa."

DupaS are cltneF 100 Oiu anu WeaTN VI
too wise and full of important business
to take more than passing notice of you
little folk. You fancy, do you not, that
grandpapa is a being very far off from
yourselves, one whose time and thoughts
are occupied with matters with which
you clnnot possibly have any acquaint-
ance?
Wait until tell you of a grandpapa
who was not long ago the greatest man
in France poet, dramatist q pa.
triot, one who exercised the greatest
possible influence upon his countrymen
and the times in which he lived-yet
who was so fond of young people that
he found his greatest recreation and
pleasure in associating with them, and
writing about them and for them.
Victor Hugo was born at Besancon,
in France, in 1902, when this century,
which has seen so many wonders, was
Just commencing. His father was
distinguished officer in the service OF
Joseph Bonaparte, and came from
brave family of the province of Lor-
raine. AS baby Victor was so weak
that he could scarcely hold up his
head. Such a poor little fellow was
he, indeed, that years after, when de-
scribing himself in verse, he says:
This century two years had rolled along;
When in BesancOn, citadelled and strong,
A little babe was born, the heir of pain
A scion both of Bretagne and lorraine;
A little babe, so fragile and weak,
1t seemed to come to life its death to seek
So delicate, its like 'twere rare to find.
A tiny seed blown helpless by tho wind:
mere chimera-yea II thing OF naugLt"
Though borne in France, Victor's
youth was passed in Italy and
Spain, where his father held positions
under the Government. There were
two boys older than Victor in the Hugo
family. They had a good mother, and
so well did she train them, and so dear
ly did they love her, that word from
her would always command their read
lest obedience When the family was
living at Avellino, in Italy, they occu-
pied house which had large and
beautiful garden. Though there was
a number of fruit tress in the garden,
the boys were forbidden by Madame
Hugo to touch any of the fruit.
But what if it falls?" said Victor.
"Leave it on the ground" replied the
mother.
"But what il it is getting rotten?"
Let it get rotten"
This ended the matter. As far as
the children were concerned, any
amount of the fruit might lie ON the
ground and rot; they would not
touch it.
The owner of Madame Hugo's house
was Lalande, the astronomer. Fear
ing the CHI ldren might annoy him he
proposed to put up a substantial par
tition between the houses.
"You need not be afraid" said the
mother. MY boys will not trespass on
your property; have forbidden it. ="
No barrier of any kind was erected,
vet not one of the three brothers ever
ventured to set foot upon the land
lords ground. When Victor was
twelve years of age he and his brother
Eugene entered the college Cordier
and Decotte, N the Rue Sainte- Mar
guerite. Here the boys seem to have
been very happy, and Victor began to
exercise the talents that were to make
him famous. Together with number
of his school fellows he wrote poetry,
recited odes and ballads, and even
got up great military dramas, which
were performed after school hours in
the large class-rooms. T. lie tables
were all pushed together to form a
stage, and on tins lnse ure foundation
the actors played their parts They
supplied the want of dressing rooms by
crouching under the tables in full cos
tune until such time as it was neces-
sarv for them to appear on the stage.
Some of the costumes were very
wonderful. They were chiefly manu-
featured out of paper, and every hero
breast was adorned with gilt orders.
Collars and chains were made out of
strings of marbles; gorgeous sashes
we're wound about their waists, and
contained the formidable array of
weapons such great characters might
he supposed to wear.
The Hugo boys were great favorites
with their school-fellows. Before they
had been at the college long they were
made "kings," and each monarch had
an array of followers, those under Eu-
gene calling themselves calves, and
those under Victor dogs"
Naturally the calves and dogs had
frequent encounters at arms. one day
while out walking the young comman-
der of the dogs" was met by stray
calf" who, making sling of his
handkerchief, flung stone at his adj
versary. The stone struck Victor on
his knee, and injured him so severely
that it was feared his leg must be cut
oil. During all his sufferlngs the young
seneral refused to betray the name Of
his essailant, insisting that such con.
duct would not be soldier-like.
When Victor was only fourteen
years OF age he competed for a prize
offered by the French Academy for the
best poem on "The Advantages OF
Study in Every Situation in Life" it
was admitted that his verses were bet
ter than others offered; but the judges
would not accord him the prize, be-
cause, as they said, he could not pos
lily be so young as he stated. I his
enraged Victor, who was q truthful
boy, and he prevailed upon his parents
to bring forth the ,ertifi ate of his
birth. This showed the judges that
they were wrong, and int oduced young
Hugo as the most wonderful boy poet
France had ever produced. He kept
on writing. and as he wrote his fame
grew. Odes, ballads, dramas, ro-
mances flowed from his pen, At length
came very striking and original novel,
which established his fame.
OF this work there is a curious story